5 Tips to Shut Your Brain Off for a Better Sleep

Having trouble sleeping? Like many Canadians with our fast-paced lifestyles and never-ending to-do lists, we all have trouble sleeping at some point or another. Lack of sleep can become more frequent for some people though and lead to conditions that affect your overall health and can negatively impact your life in a big way. If you are having trouble sleeping and turning off your brain so you can get some much-needed rest, then these tips may help you finally get some sleep.

Nothing New One Hour before Bed Most people that suffer from sleep deprivation and the inability to turn off their brain before bed are also the same ones that will do one more thing before bed. You have probably been there where you say "oh, just one last thing then bed" and this is actually causing more harm even though you may feel very efficient doing the last thing your brain is still processing what you did and replaying the memories. There may also have been something you forgot to complete or didn't have time to fully do properly and this will stick within your mind as a nagging, unfinished task that prevents you from shutting down your brain and getting sleep. The trick is to stop all tasks one hour before bed and do something else like take a bath or read a book or something else for complete leisure.

Create and Stick to a Sleep Schedule Just like with anything else, if you have a routine it will become easier over time. If you make a sleep schedule you will train your body to prepare itself for sleeping, and your mind will start to automatically shut off at the specified time when it is ready for sleeping. It is okay to deviate from your sleeping schedule from time to time but for best results it is advised to try and stay on track as much as possible. This also doesn't have to be super early or something but rather it is more important to have the consistency when training your brain to shut off for sleep.

Meditate and Take Up Yoga Meditation and yoga have been proven to relax our bodies and minds and put us into a complete state of relaxation by controlling our breathing as well as letting our muscles go so we can remove any tense feelings you have that may be preventing you from sleeping. It is most beneficial to meditate or do yoga in a calm environment also so a little prep work in your living room can do the trick to get you ready for a meditation session that will have you catching up on your sleep in no time.

Try Aromatherapy In order to get a good night’s sleep, you need to be calm and relaxed. Aromatherapy is a great way to achieve a relaxed state that will allow you to enter into a deep sleep. There are many ways to do aromatherapy such as using candles, oil diffusers, etc. as well as some nighttime sprays that can help create a calming environment for you to start relaxing in preparation for your sleep. The essential oils can help promote relaxation and shutting your brain off with scents such as lavender that have been proven to be very beneficial at triggering the relaxing parts of our minds and calming us down.

Remove Any Distractions or Noise from Your Room This may seem obvious at first; however, there are many distractions and noises that you may not even be aware of that are impacting your sleep. For example, you may have a clock in your room that ticks, or maybe you sleep with your watch beside your bed on a nightstand. If this is the case, then there is a chance that the ticking (even though subtle) is preventing you from entering the deep REM states that you need to be in to get a full night of rest. There are many other sounds and distractions that may be present which can prevent you from sleeping. If some of these sounds are hard or impossible to prevent, then it may be time to consider getting some noise-cancelling headphones or ear plugs to prevent your body from being awakened by little noises and distractions.

We recommend you try these great suggestions to help you get a better night's sleep. If you are suffering from back pain or other pains that may be related to back pain, then we recommend incorporating some chiropractic care and treatments into your health and fitness regimen as well.